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Volume 26 - July 12, 2012

Compiled from news sources around the country, Environmental Entrepreneurs' (E2) brings you the latest bi-weekly wrap-up of job announcements and project developments in the clean economy. This edition highlights a number of solar, wind and transportation projects throughout the nation.

A number of solar projects were inaugurated in the Midwest, South Central, Southwest, and Western regions of the country. In South Bexar County, TX, CPS Energy inaugurated a 19.8MW solar array set to produce enough energy for approximately 2,550 homes. The project generated 175 construction jobs, while employing 12 full-time workers.

Construction on NextEra Energy Resources' Genesis Solar Project is currently underway in Riverside County, CA. The project received an $852 million partial loan guarantee from the US DOE, and is set to create 800 construction jobs.

AWA Goodhue Wind has received state approval to begin construction on its 78MW wind farm in Goodhue County, MN. The company expects the project will generate 150 construction jobs, while creating between 2-5 full-time positions.

New Fact Checking Site for Energy Issues via Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomkonrad/2012/06/20/breaking-energyfactcheck-org/, June 20, 2012. In response to the increasingly politicized, often counterfactual, debate on clean and renewable energy in the United States, the American Council on Renewable Energy, ACORE, launched the website EnergyFactCheck.org, to which Environmental Entrepreneurs contributes. The new site serves as a counter to the misinformation being promoted in some media, by dissecting each claim and backing it up with verifiable facts. Beyond citing key statistics for energy costs, deployment, investment, jobs, and national security, the site also hosts an energy library with links to reports on various topics.

U.S. Coast Guard Takes Algae Biofuel for a Spin via Clean Technica, http://cleantechnica.com/2012/06/25/u-s-coast-guard-takes-algae-biofuel-spin/, June 25 2012. As part of the U.S. Coast Guard's pilot biofuls program, the cutter Henry Blake has just begun its maiden voyage powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel and conventional diesel. The ship's particular fuel blend is unique in that algae biofuels, a technology relatively untested in ships, make up a significant portion of the fuel. If Henry Blake performs well during the several months it tests the fuel mix, then the Coast Guard and Navy plan to adopt biofuels for use in more of their fleets.

Energy-saving solar panels crop up in new Central City homes via New Orleans Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2012/06/solar_panels_crop_up_in_centra.html, June 24, 2012. Solar is shining new light on affordable housing in New Orleans. Through an initiative from the organization Make It Right, as well as falling panel prices, nonprofit Harmony Neighborhood Development and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority are increasingly able to afford and install solar on affordable housing projects in Central City. Make It Right, leveraging tax credits, buys and installs the solar panels, which developers then purchase for an up to 80% lower upfront cost. Making panels more affordable is projected to sizably cut energy costs for people living in the economically struggling neighborhood, as well as provide more jobs for the region's solar workforce.

Company Name:Eaton Corp. and AutoflexJobs Added: +/- 20 full-time jobsLocation: Multiple statesDistrict:Sector: Electric VehiclesStatus: In OperationNotes: Eaton Corp. and Autoflex have launched VETCARS, a program focused on training returning veterans in the installation of EV charging stations; launched in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration, the program has created 20 new green jobs.

Company Name:Alabama State Port AuthorityJobs Added:322 direct jobsLocation: Mobile, ALDistrict: Sen. Jefferson Sessions (R), Sen. Richard Shelby (R), Rep. Jo Bonner (R-1)Sector: Public TransportationStatus: AnnouncedNotes: The Alabama State Port Authority announced that work on the initial phase of the Garrows Bend Intermodal Container Transfer Facility will begin soon; the US DOT has approved a $12 million TIGER grant for Phase 1 of the project; 322 direct jobs are expected to be created.

Company Name:NRG Energy; MidAmerican Solar; First Solar Jobs Added: 400 construction jobsLocation: Yuma, AZDistrict: Sen. John McCain (R), Sen. Jon Kyl (R), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-7)Sector: Generation (Solar)Status: In ProgressNotes: NRG Energy, MidAmerican Solar, and First Solar announced that part of the Agua Caliente solar project's 290MW is now operational; 100MW are now being delivered to the grid, making it the largest PV plant in North America; when completed in 2014, the project is set to produce enough energy to power more than 225,000 homes.

Company Name:Moapa Band of Paiute Indians TribeJobs Added:400 construction jobs; 15-20 full-time jobsLocation: Clark County, NVDistrict: Sen. Harry Reid (D), Sen. Dean Heller (R), Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-1)Sector: Generation (Solar)Status: AnnouncedNotes: Moapa Band of Paiute Indians Tribe announced that the federal government approved the construction of a 350MW solar array in Clark County, NV; the project will generate enough electricity to power 100,000 homes, while creating 400 construction jobs and up to 20 permanent jobs.

Company Name:AbengoaJobs Added:150 construction jobsLocation: Imperial Valley, CADistrict: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), Rep. Bob Filner (D-51)Sector: Generation (Solar)Status: AnnouncedNotes: Abengoa announced that it has been hired to build a 200MW solar array in Imperial Valley, CA; the $360 million project is expected to be operational in the second half of 2013.

iEach of these job numbers were culled from publicly available announcements of new clean energy ventures. "Status" is used to informally categorize the stage of development of a project, with "in operation" meaning a energy project that has gone live, or a manufacturing facility that is on line. "In Progress" is used for any project in construction or any program just starting, and "Announced" captures those projects in earlier stages of development. Inclusion in this newsletter is not an indication of E2 support for any individual project.